Cameron Mason (777tv CX Team) won the third round of the Superprestige in Niel on Wednesday, in a tight battle with Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) that was settled in the final lap.
“In my head, there was only one option today: win,” Mason told Sporza after the race.
Despite the conditions, and concerns over his physical performance, Mason crossed the finish line 20 seconds ahead of Wyseure, covered in mud and beaming.
Latest Videos FromCycling Weekly
“With the depth of the field, it comes down to who makes the fewest mistakes, and I didn’t make a single one,” he said through a mud-flecked grin. “There were punctures, crashes and all sorts of things. I just tried to focus on my own race.”
“Finally, it is my turn to win. I am very happy.”
The British National Cyclocross Champion had pushed into the lead group in the third lap, behind race-leader Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat-Cube) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Atlez Industriebouw). Just behind, Wyseure and Kuhn’s teammate Joris Nieuwenhuis maintained a steady threat.
The race rearranged from there. During the fourth lap, Vanthourenhout moved ahead of Kuhn, putting space between Mason and the growing chase group.
His lead didn’t last long, and by the penultimate lap, the course had taken its victims. With Vanthourenhout thwarted by a fall in the mud as he carried his bike and Kuhn’s dominant charge interrupted by a suspected front puncture, Mason and Wyseure led the race, with Nieuwenhuis ten seconds back.
By the time the trio reached the final lap, Mason had pulled away. Able to ride through the sandpit as Wyseure dismounted, Mason maintained a steady 20-second gap on the Belgian to win in Niel.
Wyseure finished 20 seconds behind Mason in a time of 1:04:01, with Nieuwenhuis finishing in third.
After a disappointing sixth place in the European Championship, Mason now leads the Superprestige overall rankings, with Wyseure just behind. Vanthourenhout sits in third overall on 37 points. The next round of the Superestige will be held on Sunday 6th December in Ruddervoorde.
